Magentic Jewlry

ABSTRACT

A system of magnetic jewelry for attachment to clothing or other fabric substrate has a plurality of decorative elements is provided. One or more of the decorative elements is affixed to a permanent magnet or unaligned magnetic material. A complementary magnetic backing element is positioned on the opposite side of a fabric substrate. The complementary magnetic element may be mechanically fastened to the fabric or may be held in place by its magnetic attraction with the decorative element. Additional decorative elements may be mechanically linked to one or more magnetically fastened element to create a complex decoration.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISK APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to jewelry and in particular to jewelry that fastens magnetically to clothing. Jewelry has long been used to decorate a wearer's body and clothing. Past methods of decorating clothing in particular have generally focused on attaching a single brooch, pin, cuff link mechanically, for example with a safety pin-type device. Similarly, magnetic clasps are well-known for many accessories, such as handbags, wallets, and money clips, as well as necklaces and bracelets where a single item is intended to couple to itself. Heretofore unknown, however, are clothing decorations that make full use of magnets' fastening properties by allowing a plurality of decorative elements all to be attached to a user's clothing and intermingled.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the invention is directed to a system of magnetic jewelry for attachment to clothing or other fabric substrate. A plurality of decorative elements is provided. One or more of the decorative elements is affixed to a permanent magnet or unaligned magnetic material. A complementary magnetic element is positioned on the opposite side of a fabric substrate. The complementary magnetic element may be mechanically fastened to the fabric or may be held in place by its magnetic attraction with the decorative element. Additional decorative elements may be mechanically linked to one or more magnetically fastened element to create a complex decoration.

Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawing is included to provide a further understanding of the invention and is incorporated into and constitutes a part of the specification. It illustrates one embodiment of the invention and, together with the description, serves to explain the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a front view of the first exemplary embodiment, displaying the decorative elements 10 and the backing 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the invention in more detail, the invention is directed to a system of magnetic jewelry. FIG. 1 shows the first exemplary embodiment. In the first exemplary embodiment, a plurality of decorative elements is provided. The decorative elements 10 may be of any shape, material, or color, though rigid metal or plastic elements in common decorative shapes are preferred. At least one of the decorative elements is fixedly attached to a permanent magnet or piece of unaligned magnetic material (e.g. soft iron). A backing 11, which is a corresponding (opposite pole) supporting permanent magnet or piece of permanently magnetic material is placed behind a flexible substrate, such as fabric clothing, which will receive the decoration. The backing 11 is preferably flat in shape, plain in appearance, and able to be comfortably worn inside clothing. The backing 11 may be retained in place by its magnetic attraction to the decorative element (and corresponding friction with the fabric substrate), or may be mechanically retained, for example by being sewn into a pocket of fabric or pinned to the clothing interior. In all embodiments, standard iron magnets may be employed as well as neodymium enhanced magnets, and even electromagnets (when worn with an electrical energy source, such as a battery).

Referring still to the first exemplary embodiment, the several decorative elements 10 may be connected to one another by any means. For example, the decorative elements 10 may be linked together by interlocking chains, hooks, or loops. In this configuration, elements will tend to hang downwardly from the nearest magnetically retained element, or tend to hang equally from two or more nearby magnetically retained elements. Decorative elements 10 may also be linked by rigid connection members, which may be fastened, adhered, welded, or monolithically molded to the various decorative elements 10. Additionally, decorative elements 10 may be magnetically linked to other decorative elements 10 to create easily customizable linkages. In other embodiments, a single decorative element 10 may be used alone, for example to simulate a brooch, cufflink, tie tack, or other single item of jewelry.

While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is presently considered to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The invention should, therefore, not be limited by the above described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention. 

I claim:
 1. A magnetic jewelry system comprising: (a) a backing; (b) a plurality of decorative elements; (c) at least one of said plurality of decorative elements being at least in part made of a magnetic material; (d) said backing being made of a magnetic material; (e) said backing and those of said plurality of decorative elements that are made at least in part of a magnetic material being configured to be magnetically attracted with sufficient force that those of said plurality of decorative elements that are made of a magnetic material may be retained in place on said backing through flexible substrates.
 2. The magnetic jewelry system of claim 1 wherein said backing is mechanically retained inside clothing.
 3. The magnetic jewelry system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said plurality of decorative elements is substantially non-magnetic, and wherein those of said plurality of decorative elements that are substantially non-magnetic are mechanically linked to one or more of those of said plurality of decorative elements that are made at least in part of a magnetic material.
 4. The magnetic jewelry system of claim 1 wherein at least two of said decorative elements are configured so as to be magnetically attachable to one another.
 5. The magnetic jewelry system of claim 2 wherein at least one of said plurality of decorative elements is substantially non-magnetic, and wherein those of said plurality of decorative elements that are substantially non-magnetic are mechanically linked to one or more of those of said plurality of decorative elements that are made at least in part of a magnetic material.
 6. The magnetic jewelry system of claim 4 wherein at least one of said plurality of decorative elements is substantially non-magnetic, and wherein those of said plurality of decorative elements that are substantially non-magnetic are mechanically linked to one or more of those of said plurality of decorative elements that are made at least in part of a magnetic material.
 7. The magnetic jewelry system of claim 2 wherein at least two of said decorative elements are configured so as to be magnetically attachable to one another.
 8. The magnetic jewelry system of claim 6 wherein at least two of said decorative elements are configured so as to be magnetically attachable to one another.
 9. A method of using the magnetic jewelry system of claim 1 comprising placing said backing within an article of clothing and affixing said plurality of decorative elements to the exterior of said article of clothing such that said plurality of decorative elements is retained in place by magnetic attraction to said article of clothing.
 10. The method of claim 9 wherein said plurality of decorative elements is one in number, whereby a single article of jewelry is simulated.
 11. The Method of claim 9 wherein at least one of said plurality of decorative elements is substantially non-magnetic, and wherein those of said plurality of decorative elements that are substantially non-magnetic are mechanically linked to one or more of those of said plurality of decorative elements that are made at least in part of a magnetic material.
 12. The Method of claim 9 wherein at least two of said decorative elements are configured so as to be magnetically attachable to one another.
 13. The Method of claim 11 wherein at least two of said decorative elements are configured so as to be magnetically attachable to one another.
 14. The Method of claim 13 further comprising creating a customized pattern of linkages among said plurality of decorative elements.
 15. A method of using the magnetic jewelry system of claim 2 comprising placing said backing within an article of clothing and affixing said plurality of decorative elements to the exterior of said article of clothing such that said plurality of decorative elements is retained in place by magnetic attraction to said article of clothing.
 16. The method of claim 15 wherein said plurality of decorative elements is one in number, whereby a single article of jewelry is simulated.
 17. The Method of claim 15 wherein at least one of said plurality of decorative elements is substantially non-magnetic, and wherein those of said plurality of decorative elements that are substantially non-magnetic are mechanically linked to one or more of those of said plurality of decorative elements that are made at least in part of a magnetic material.
 18. The Method of claim 15 wherein at least two of said decorative elements are configured so as to be magnetically attachable to one another.
 19. The Method of claim 17 wherein at least two of said decorative elements are configured so as to be magnetically attachable to one another.
 20. The Method of claim 19 further comprising creating a customized pattern of linkages among said plurality of decorative elements. 